Council rejects proposal to reclassify Ohio Street as a major arterial

The Bangor City Council voted unanimously to reject an ordinance that would have reclassified Ohio Street as a major arterial, a change proponents said would align zoning with certain land uses and opponents said would contradict traffic data and the comprehensive plan.

Councilor Carson introduced Ordinance 26-058 to remove Ohio Street and State Street from the minor-arterial definition and add Ohio Street to the major-arterial definition. Planning Board minutes and the Business and Economic Development Committee had both recommended that the change ‘ought not to pass.’

Residents living on Ohio Street and area homeowners spoke at length against the change. Jeffrey Forney, a resident of Ohio Street, presented traffic-volume data from the Maine Department of Transportation and said annual average daily traffic counts on Ohio Street are below the 10,000-vehicle threshold used in the land development code. Other speakers, including Joe Pratt and Sadie Francis, said the street is largely two lanes and does not meet the code’s criteria for a major arterial, and warned that the change would threaten the street’s residential character.

Council discussion reflected those concerns. Several councilors said the Planning Board and prior committee review weighed against the amendment and expressed sympathy for residents who had prepared submissions and turnout. On roll-call vote, the ordinance failed, 0 yes and 8 no.

The council took no further action to re-notify or separate State Street from Ohio Street at this meeting; staff noted that separating the items would require a new order and re-notification.

Outcome: Ordinance 26-058 failed on roll-call vote.